Democracy, naturally

*Leaf 14 - New Moon - 21 Jan 2023*

Dear friends,

Sankranthi is a time to remember our connection with Nature and express Gratitude for all that Sun & his/her Family has given to us.

Sankranthi celebration - Rangoli by Sunandamma & Dhakshayini

What 2023 holds for us is anybody's guess. Few days back, the UN Chief said 'WORLD IS IN A SORRY STATE' to a group of businessmen at the World Economic Forum in Davos. And a few days earlier, Our Prime minister too uttered similar sounding words extending it further saying it'd be difficult to predict how long this state of instability will last. When all those at the top utter similar words, there should be some semblance of truth to it. So, the best way to plan for 2023 is to just hang around, eat good organic food, spend time with people around you and find simple ways to interact with the environment around to make it a better place.

Cycles of Nature

Evolution of Thought in Time

Eons ago, when Yudhistra (the king from the Indian Epic Mahabaratha) told that he wouldn't want liberation until all his siblings are liberated, it was considered the ultimate dharmic action (Yudhistra is depicted as the epitome of Dharma). Though he was a ruler, envisaging the liberation of his subjects was not his ask. Perhaps it reflects the limits of the horizon of Human mind of that eon.

Eons later, when Swami Vivekananda proclaimed that he will not 'die' till the last soul on Earth gets 'liberated', he symbolized the 'thought' of our current civilization and has highlighted the expanding nature of the evolution of Thought in Time. Vivekananda as a role model can lead Humanity to its pinnacle, surely. He was born on 12th January 1863 - a selfless man who surrendered to his Guru one hundred percent.

Democracy
Irrespective of our Belief systems, we all need to acknowledge that Democracy is the best creation of Humanity till date. It's a work in progress. By joining hands together, we can make Democracy more beautiful and inclusive. Our support for Democracy doesn't have to happen just once in 5 years at the time of voting. As John Keane says 'Ballots can be used to ruin Democracy just as effectively as bullets'.

Perhaps, the best way to become an active citizen in the Democracy is to participate in the environment around us. As Participation is a better process than anticipation, let us engage in the world around in a more compassionate and meaningful way, as a means of serving Democracy.

For example, the FSSAI (Food Safety & Standards Authority of India) had requested for public feedback on its draft note on GM Food regulations. Not many of us would have participated in this very important exercise (the last date for entries was 20th Jan). Instead of anticipating the impact of Organisms that are genetically modified may have on our bodies, as educated citizens of our Country, lets analyze, understand and take a decisive stand on such topics for the welfare of ourselves and the environment around.

February 9th is the National Safe Food day. And those who believe GMOs are harmful, is organizing a series of events and programs to create awareness about the topic. To know more, you can visit http://indiaforsafefood.in/ or whatsapp us at 7204288166.
Navadarshanam

For those who are not familiar with Navadarshanam, its a small community founded in 1990 to explore off the grid living. Their journey has been a turbulent ride and getting to know their story would be helpful for all of us. Their annual day is coming up on 26th January and it's a open day for all. If interested to participate, you can register yourself at the below link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfClsNZnQhMketldPuhSGEipr9kYFQxhdcvK58C56oBbVTQxQ/viewform

Store Updates:

Mysore Kitchen Gardeners group activity: Collected 10 bags of fertile soil thanks to Kanchana. Agase, nuge (drum stick), beetle leaf, sticks planted by Malangi Nanjunde gowda gardener.

The Mysore Spinners Group had organized a day trip to Melkote for visiting the Janapada Seva Trust - a Khadi organization, a place to see and learn the art of converting cotton into beautiful dresses - using hand. To get updates on Mysore Spinners Group activities, you can contact 9008484880.